| dc.description.abstract | This report is about a study titled, Purposes of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund on Performance of Youth Run Small and Micro Enterprises in Ruiru District, Kiambu County,
Kenya.The objectives of the study were to;- establish the extent to which YEDF loans, through
middlelevel financial institutions, affect performance of youth run SMEs, examine the extent of
influence of YEDF sponsored business incubators on the number and type of youth run SMEs,
determine how business linkages created by YEDF affect performance of youth run SMEs and
find out how YEDF marketing initiatives impact on performance of youth run SMEs. The
descriptive survey research design was employed whereby characteristics of the fund were
described on a subset of the population. The target population was made up of 171 respondents.
A representative sample of 117 respondents was selected according to Krecjie, Daryl and
Morgantable. The study found out that loaning (funding) is not a factor in determining the
number of employees a firm would wish to have. However, loaning affects the number of outlets
a firm would have, and this, in direct proportion. Secondly, after market for goods and services,
infrastructure is a second most important determinant of line of business an SME chooses. The
study also found out that supplier/buyer relationship was deemed most important linkage an
SME would wish to establish, and that all the SMEs with airy relationship had changes in annual
revenue.Lastly, the study found out that ~r~ting improves sales in direct proportion. After
conclusionof the study, it is recommended fha{more funds be channeled through the programme
to have tangible effects on performance of funded SMEs, funding to each SME be increased to
realize a bigger effect of the fund, the fund be diversified to include tangible assets that can be
registered in group names and persons in charge of the fund formulate and implement strategies
that would realize all the five purposes of YEDF and not just loaning. In conclusion, the fund is a
noble idea that needs more resources and commitment by the relevant government department to
realize more empirical and tangible results. | en |
